Electricity consumption in Greece continued to decline in the first quarter of the year, while hydroelectric plants further increased their share of power generation.
According to the actual figures from ADMIE (the Greek transmission system operator) for the first quarter, published in the March Monthly Energy Bulletin, net electricity demand came to roughly 12.8 million MWh. There are signs of a growing readiness to cut consumption on the low-voltage network, that is, among households and businesses, which used almost 3% less electricity over the quarter and around 2.7% less in March alone.
By contrast, consumption by the 30 large industrial users connected to the high-voltage network was marginally higher in March, although the quarter closed with a 1.16% drop for these particular PPC customers (eligible customers).
The energy balance figures for the first quarter, driven by higher output from hydroelectric plants, are once again helping PPC’s financial results. The company nevertheless faces difficulties elsewhere, such as private electricity suppliers winning retail market share, and the imposition of a Special Consumption Tax on the diesel that the state-owned utility uses to generate electricity on the islands.
The first-quarter energy balance shows the following: – Output from hydroelectric plants rose by 112%, and in March alone PPC’s hydroelectric projects covered 23.5% of total electricity consumption.
– Electricity imports are being made at particularly low prices, as they come largely from hydroelectric generation in neighbouring countries. In March they accounted for over 12% of total consumption in Greece, close to the 15.7% supplied by natural gas, which in 2009 had at times covered more than 20% of needs.
– Oil has almost entirely dropped out of power generation on the interconnected system, though PPC is forced to keep using it on the islands.
– The cost of emission allowances has fallen, as lignite’s share of electricity generation is much lower. In March our national fuel supplied around 44% of the electricity consumed in Greece, compared with shares approaching 60% last year.
Finally, renewable energy output, although up 17% year on year, contributes only 4.3% of total electricity consumption.
